Last-reshaping mechanism.



M. H. LYONS. LAST RESHAPING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, 1912.

1,069,791?! Pa ented Aug. 12, 1913.

TlhlTTE SA FTQ.

MICHAEL H. LYONS, 0F BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LAST-RESHAPING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12,1913.

Application filed August 12, 1912. Serial No. 714,540.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, MICHAEL H. LYoNs, acitizen of the United States, and resident of Brockton, in the county ofPlymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement inLast-Reshaping Mechanism of which the following description, inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, likeletters on the drawings representing like parts.

The constantly changing styles in shoe shapes involves a very heavyexpense for the new supply of lasts for each shape and this is a veryconsiderable item in the larger factories where many thousands of lastsare in use.

The prime object of my invention is to provide a mechanism adapted toreshape lasts particularly the toe portions thereof by cutting downextra high toes so that lasts originally formed for such extra high toescan be quickly and easily modified to a normal or desired toe shape andthus the lasts preserved for further usefulness instead of beingdiscarded.

The invention consists essentially in an improved last holding applianceadapted to firmly and securely hold the last between lathe centers witha capability of quick and easy removal and replacement and also ofadjustment to the required position.

A; further feature of my improved appliance is that it is adapted tohold the last in a manner so that the tracer which fol lows the modeland the cutting tool are not required to have any considerabletransversing movement in encircling the work but keep relatively closeto the work at all times thereby permitting higher speed of operation.

A further feature of the invention has to do with a guard provisionadapted to be fitted to the model last whereby the cutting tool isprevented from chipping into parts of the last that should not beattacked.

The above and other features of the invention will be better understoodfrom the following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings and will be thereafter pointed out in the appendedclaims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation showing a model lastheld by my improved appliance; Fig. 2 is an end view of the chuckportion of the appliance; Fig. 3 is a central vertical section thereof;Fig. 4:

is a detail of a backing block employed in the chuck portion; Fig. 5 isa plan of the tail stock or toe dog of the appliance; and Fig. 6 is anelevation of a portion of a last having an abnormally high toe to bereduced.

My improved appliance comprises a chuck portion 1 adapted to be fixed tothe live center of a lathe and a toe dog-or support 2 adapted to beapplied to the tail stock of the lathe. The chuck portion 1 is composedof an internally threaded ring 3 having an externally threaded hollowblock 4 fitted therein. The block 4 has opposite jaws 5, 6 pivoted nearthe inner end of the block 4 as at 7 8, these jaws having beveled faces9 at their inner ends adapted to be engaged by an internal bevel 10 atthe inner end of the ring 3. Short extensions of the jaws 5, 6 back fromthe pivot points 7, 8 are engaged by springs 11 fixed at 12 to thecentral block whereby the bevel faces 9 of the aws are normally held inengagement with the internal bevel 10 of the ring 3.

The outer end of the jaw 5 has a clamping face 13 shaped to fit asnearly as may be the top heel portion of the last and to enable it tosecurely grip lasts which are more or less broken down I provide a screwbolt 14 with a thumb nut 15 at its outer end threaded through the innerend of the jaw and adapted to engage the last. The jaw 6 has a wideconcavecl seating face 16 for the bottom heel portion of the last andthe rear end of the last is thus securely clamped between these two jawsas the ring 3 is turned up on the block 4:. The bushing 17 havingprovision as by the hole 18 for receiving a lathe center is fixed in thehollow block 1 or in a separate ring portion rigid therewith by a screwbolt 19 passing laterally through such block and with its inner endimpinging on the bushing. The bushing 17 carries a backing piece 20having a cut out seat 21 for receiving the end of the last and a squaredprojection 22 fitting in a recess in the bushing 17 as seen in Fig. 3with a screw bolt 23 for holding these parts rigidly assembled. Thebushing 17 is removable by merely loosening the screw 19 and is adaptedto be replaced by other bushings having suitable formations to receivedifferent types of lathe centers adapting the appliance to be used withany kind of a lathe. The bushing 17 is also rotatably adjustablerelative to the chuck proper so that the clamping jaws with the lastclamped therein can be turned on this bushing to the required extent forproperly alining the last to be operated on and the model, and the bolt19 can then be turned up to hold the bushing rigidly in place. The ring3 may be provided with spanner holes 24 to receive a spanner or liketool for turning the ring to clamp the jaws against the last. The toedog 2 has suitable provision for engaging the tail stock of the latheshown as the socket 25 and it has a beak portion 26 with a short prongor tooth 27 at its end adapted to bite into the toe of the last. A rest28 having a widened extremity 29 formed to fit the bottom toe portion ofthe last is pivoted at 30 to ears on the beak portion 26, and adjustingscrews 31, 32 are pro vided at each side of the pivot point 30 to permitthe rest 28 to be swung through some little angle so that the supportingend 29 thereof may be spaced variable distances from the tooth 27 andalso from the axial line of the lathe. This is an important featuresince by the simple turning of the screws 31, 82, the toe of the lastmay be adjusted relative to the axis of the lathe to project its topmore or less into the path of the tool as desired so that the toe willbe cut down to a variable extent, depending on this adjustment and therelative positioning of the model and last being worked on. I have foundthat in practice the last used as a model is apt to swell or getotherwise distorted to a small extent and as it is important that thetool should not touch the bottom toe portion of the last being treatedin the rotation thereof, I preferably fit a small thickness of leatheror other protector pad material as at 33 over the bottom toe portion ofthe model last so that the tracer is moved a little extra distance awayfrom the last and hence the tool kept safely out of contact with thispart of the last being treated.

In Fig. 1, a last model at having a normal toe form 5 is shown, while inFig. 6 a porti on of a last a is shown with an abnormally high toe b,the normal toe contour to which this last is to be reduced being shownin dotted line at 0.

It will be observed that my improved appliance thus leaves the entiretoe port-ion of the last to be worked on exposed so that the tool canattack the same to the best advantage and that the last being firmlyheld at the very point of the toe by the beak shaped.

toe dog, there are no laterally projecting parts in the path of thetool, requiring it to be moved in and out to clear the same more thanthe small distance required to clear the bottom toe portion of the last.This feature of construction not only enables the machine to be run muchmore rapidly but it also permits a single model to be used for tufningboth rights and lefts, by reversal of driving connections, and alsopermits any size or length of last to be operated on withthe use of thesame model, i. e. the work can be graded with a proper selection of toolfeeding connections. The invention is further advantageous and valuablein permitting the lasts to be fixed in place and removed very rapidlyand these several features contribute to make the work of reshapinglasts in the manner described much more expeditious than it has beenheretofore.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the kind described comprising a chucking portion havingopposite pivoted jaws with gripping faces formed to fit the top andbottom heel portions of a last respectively, means to clamp said jaws tothe last, a bushing angularly adjustable relative to said chuckingportion with provision for receiving a lathe center, and means carriedby said bushing to engage the back of the last.

2. In a device of the kind described,means to hold and rotate a last,comprising a heel chuck to clamp the heel end and to turn the lastthereby, in combination with a freely rotatable toe clamp cooperatingwith said heel chuck to hold the last and having a rigid beak to contactwith the extreme toe end of the last, and a movable member adapted toengage the bottom of said last back of the toe end.

3. In a device of the kind described, means to hold and rotate a last,comprising a heel chuck to clamp the heel end and to turn the lastthereby, in combination with a freely rotatable member to support thetoe portion of the last, having a beak longitudinally extending in theline of rotation of said member and adapted to contact with the extremetoe portion of the last, cooperating with an oscillatory member pivotedto said beak and extending beyond the beak to act as a rest for thebottom of the last, and means to adjust the oscillatory member withrelation to said beak.

4-. A device of the kind described comprising a chucking portion adaptedto clamp the heel of a last and to be engaged with the live center of alathe, a toe dog cotiperating with said heel portion to enable the lastto be rotated having a beak to engage the toe of the last, and a backingpiece pivoted thereto with provision for angular adjustment to bring itswork engaging surface a greater or less distance from the axial line ofthe lathe.

5. A device of the kind described comprising a chucking portion adaptedto clamp the heel of a last and to be engaged with the live center of alathe, a toe dog cooperating with said heel portion to enable the lastto be rotated having a beak to engage the toe of the last, and a backingpiece pivoted to said beak With adjusting screws at each side of itspivot adapted to hold it at difi erent distances from the axial line ofthe lathe.

6. A device of the kind described comprising a chucking portion to holdthe heel of a last and be engaged in the live center of a lathe, a toedog cooperating With said heel portion to enable the last to be rotatedfor engaging the toe of the last, and a last model held by said chuckingportion and toe dog With a protector piece carried by the bottom toeportion thereof for the purpose as stated.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my 15 name to this specification, inthe presence of tWo subscribing Witnesses.

MICHAEL H. LYONS.

lVitnesses:

FEED S. SPROGUE, FRANK H. MITE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

